Aercool Aero-1000 Review and Interview

Aercool Aero-1000 Review

Manufacturer: Aerocool
UK price (as reviewed): £55.20 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $99.99 (ex Tax)

We've seen quite a few companies take different approaches to their product lines recently. In Win, which was traditionally known for rather plastic-clad, poor-performing cases, produced the stunning 901 and 904, for example. Now it seems Aerocool is on a similar path with the Aero-1000, which is now part of the company's new Airflow Series and is quite different to many of the company's previous models.


Aerocool has had a couple of interesting cases such as those in the Dead Silence series, which are quite popular amongst system builders too. However, competing against the likes of Corsair and Fractal Design in the enthusiast market seemed out of reach somehow. Thankfully, that's no longer the case - the Aero-1000 is an impressive case for the money and costs less than £60.


At 210mm across it's fairly narrow, but it's also tall at dead on 500mm and just as deep too. There are few plastic trimmings compared with other Aerocool cases and this is a good thing. The chassis is otherwise riddled with vents and is clean-looking. It's certainly familiar-looking too, with several of Corsair's cases springing to mind.


Thankfully, it's very well built, being mainly made of steel, although the low price tag does result in a fairly basic design. It's pretty functional, though, and we were pleased to see a removable magnetic dust filter in the roof with another in the front section hidden behind the front mesh that pops off. The two 5.25in bays are equally easy to deal with - no wrenching off metal facias here as the covers use simple latches to hold themselves in place.


The front panel offers the basic ports and buttons including two USB 3 ports and audio minijacks, while a large window provides a view of your core hardware, but sensibly hides the drive mounts in the front. The underside sports a further slide-out dust filter for the PSU. Overall it's a simple but relatively attractive exterior and you won't get many ATX cases that are noticeably prettier for much less.

Head here to see our interview with Aerocool.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 210 x 491 x 500 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic
  
• Available colours Black or white
  
• Weight 8.9kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 2 x external 5.25in, 5 x 3.5in/2.5in, 2 x 2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX
  
• Cooling 2 x 120/140mm front fan mounts (2 x 120mm fans included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (120mm fan included), 2 x 120/140mm roof fan mounts (fans not included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 170mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 290mm (410mm without HDD cage)
  
• Extras Removable dust filters